Bumps In The Road

When I drive home from work on the I-5 Freeway there is a section near San Juan Capistrano that is really rough and bumpy. I thought it was partly because my truck was old and the shocks were worn out and if I bought a new truck the problem would be solved. Well, I recently bought a new truck and guess what; the road is still just as bumpy. It reminded me of something really important.

So far, 2014 hasn’t started off very well for our family. In fact, we’ve had more than our share of bumps in the road. So far this year….

• Our oldest daughter had a severe reaction to medication and was hospitalized for three days.
• My Father-in-law was also hospitalized with a serious gall bladder issue.
• A winter storm trashed our beach, wiped out our brick fire ring and flooded our patio.
• Our home was broken into and robbed.
• And last week we found out one of our employees has a serious medical condition that may cause him to miss work for a long time.

These are all bad things for sure, some even life threatening, and I would be totally justified to focus on these problems and make myself miserable. But then, on top of all the problems, I would just be miserable as well. So… what if I remember that God is always with me, molding me, testing me, and helping me to grow and I take a different perspective…

• I am so thankful we have local hospitals so our children can get the care they need.
• I am so glad my Father-in-law was hospitalized because the doctors discovered he had a heart condition and were able to implant a pace maker, greatly improving his long term health.
• I am happy we had a winter storm because we desperately need the rain.
• I’m glad we were robbed because we didn’t lose anything truly important and it motivated me to install new locks and a proper security system so we can be much safer from now on.
• And finding out one of our employees has a serious medical condition reminded me that each and every person at our company is important, unique and special and that I should never take any of them for granted. Remembering that will help me to be a better boss.

There are always going to be bumps in the road of life but we don’t necessarily need to try to fix them. We just need to realize that they are there for a reason, to serve as a reminder that we shouldn’t ask God for a lighter burden, we should simply ask for broader shoulders!

We turn to God for help when our foundations are shaking,
only to learn that it is God who is shaking them.

~ Charles C. West